Pad Thai Tofu

I watched Emeril Lagasse make his Pad Thai on Food Network, and he made it look so so easy that I had to try it out for myself. Considering I have never even tasted Pad Thai before, I was also a little hesitant but went forward with both eyes closed. It took two tries before I made something that was equally tasty and palatable. This recipe is a mixture of Emeril's and one that I found on the Whole Foods website.

1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
3/4 package Maifun rice sticks, roughly 6 oz. *
1/2 cup shitake or portabella mushrooms, wiped with damp cloth and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 onion, julienned
3 green onions, chopped
2 green chilies or jalapenos, julienned
1/2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli, chopped into florets
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1/4 cup soya sauce **
2 tbsp brown sugar or granulated sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sriracha sauce **
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges for garnish

1. Combine the soya sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Keep aside.
2. Drain the tofu. Place a paper towel on plate. Put tofu on top of paper towel to allow excess water to drain. Place another paper towel and plate on top and set aside while you get everything else together.
3. Boil a pot of water. Add the rice sticks to the boiling water and remove from heat. Close lid and set aside for 10 minutes.
4. In a skillet, braize the tofu cubes until golden brown and crisp, according to preference.
5. Using a wok or the widest pan you have, heat up some oil. Just like stir fry, let the oil get burning hot before dropping in the garlic paste and ginger paste. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the broccoli. Cook for a few seconds, then add the mushrooms. Cook for a few seconds, then add the peppers and onions. Lastly, add the green onions.
6. Add the tofu to the stir fried veggies and mix together.
7. Next, add the boiled rice sticks and mix together with tongs.
8. Finally, add the sauce that you prepared in Step 1 to the pan. Also, add the chopped cilantro and sriracha sauce. Adjust seasoning per taste.
9. Serve sizzling hot with wedges of lime.

I used 6 oz of rice sticks. I would suggest only using 1/2 the package if you are serving 2-3 people. I ended up having much more noodles than veggies, and I think it is supposed to be the other way around. I also ended up adding more soya sauce and sriracha sauce to add more flavor. The rice sticks were nice and light. Next time, though, I will try to use the wider rice noodles. I would also add some lemongrass and Thai basil to add more Thai flavors. If you are non-veg, use fish sauce instead of saya sauce and shrimp instead of tofu. We both enjoyed this healthy meal. Overall, this one pot Thai dish is definitely worth trying out.